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Printing is the Inseparable Companion of Achievement

Printing is the Inseparable Companion of Achievement

James Watrous

In February 2020, this mural by James Watrous was moved from Webcrafters, Inc. (formerly The Democrat Printing Co.) on North Sherman Ave. in Madison. Commissioned by Walter A. Frautschi for The Democrat Printing and painted in their offices, the mural addresses the role of printing in the dissemination of knowledge. The subject of the mural was proposed by the company and is drawn from a series of personal letters of advice written in 1920 by Roy T. Porte, a printer and publisher. The artist—a former faculty member in UW’s art history department from 1935-1976— was known as "the Father of the Elvehjem" for his pivotal role in establishing the Elvehjem Art Center (now the Chazen Museum of Art) and the Kohler Art Library. Watrous also created many works of art in public spaces around campus, including the Paul Bunyan murals (1933-36) in the UW-Madison Memorial Union.
Artist
James Watrous
(American, 1908 - 1999)
Title
Printing is the Inseparable Companion of Achievement
Date
1951
Medium
Tempera, oil glaze, and gold leaf on canvas adhered to plywood
Dimensions
91 1/2 x 215 x 4 in. overall
Credit
Gift of the John J. Frautschi Family
Accession No.
2020.16
Classification
Paintings
Geography
United States

Related

1951, commissioned by Walter Frautschi for Democrat Printing Company [later known as Webcrafters; painted on site at 2211 Fordem Ave., Madison, WI].

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